Dear Assembled Southstanders (and especially tvoc),

I was just wondering if you might help me. My wife has been digging out old school photos, and on one of them found somebody she was at school with who she thought "might have played rugby" for somebody. The player in question is Marcus Vassilokopolouss (sic, almost certainly). Obviously I remembered him, and it prompted me to think of the 1994 and 1995 Cup finals. I'm pretty sure he played in one if not both of those. If he did so, I imagine it was as back-up hooker? If so, back-up to whom? I know i have programmes somewhere, but they'll be in the loft, and it's quicker to ask you lot than to go and dig them out. I would like the full Leeds line-ups for both those games pretty please.

Lowes?

That was what I thought, certainly if it was 1995. Did Lowes play in 1994 as well? I were only a nipper then me.

Leeds V Wigan - 30th April 1994:

Leeds:
Alan Tait
Jim Fallon, Kevin Iro, Craig Innes, Francis Cummins
Graham Holroyd, Garry Schofield
Neil Harmon, James Lowes, Harvey Howard
Gary Mercer, Richie Eyres, Ellery Hanley
Subs:
Marcus Vassilakopoulos, Mike O'Neill

Leeds V Wigan - 29th April 1995

Leeds:
Alan Tait
Jim Fallon, Kevin Iro, Craig Innes, Francis Cummins
Garry Schofield, Graham Holroyd
Harvey Howard, James Lowes, Esene Faimalo
Gary Mercer, Richie Eyres, Ellery Hanley
Subs:
George Mann, Neil Harmon

FWIW Marcus Vassilakopoulos' record for Leeds reads:

Played 15 + 29 + 1 (NPS), Tries 2, Points 8

Also while I'm here:

The Wigan teams:

Leeds V Wigan - 30th April 1994:

Wigan:
Gary Connolly
Va'aiga Tuigamala, Dean Bell, Barrie-Jon Mathers, Martin Offiah
Frana Botica, Shaun Edwards
Kelvin Skerrett, Martin Dermott, Andy Platt
Denis Betts, Andrew Farrell, Phil Clarke
Subs:
Sam Panapa, Mick Cassidy

Leeds V Wigan - 29th April 1995

Wigan:
Henry Paul
Jason Robinson, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Gary Connolly, Martin Offiah
Frana Botica, Shaun Edwards
Kelvin Skerrett, Martin Hall, Neil Cowie
Denis Betts, Mick Cassidy, Phil Clarke
Subs:
Paul Atcheson, Andrew Farrell

Think Vassy played second row sometimes as well didn't he?

Not sure he ever started in the second row but he certainly played loose forward as well as hooker.

Wigan:
Gary Connolly
Va'aiga Tuigamala, Dean Bell, Barrie-Jon Mathers, Martin Offiah
Frana Botica, Shaun Edwards
Kelvin Skerrett, Martin Dermott, Andy Platt
Denis Betts, Andrew Farrell, Phil Clarke
Subs:
Sam Panapa, Mick Cassidy

I bet you're glad you're not facing that team this Friday.

How many of the current Leeds team do you think would get into that side?

Is the answer Keith Senior and two extra subs?

Quite possibly,

Infact looking at those teams, quite a few of the current Leeds side would struggle to get into the 94 - 95 Leeds sides.

Doesn't it just show you how the standards have dropped?

£ for £ those pre SL squads would have probably smashed the salary cap had it been around in those days and set at a sensible level.

It also shows how a pre professional Rugby Union was a good thing for Rugby League.